The Trouble with Office Romances
by annablink
Summary: AU! Yao was happy as Arthur Kirkland's assistant. He was stern, kind, and not exactly bad looking. But now she's been transferred to work with Mr. Braginski in his office upstairs. Fem!China/Russia, some FrUk, Fem!China/UK, and Fem! US/UK (other pairings to come). Apologies, this fic has been discontinued.
1. Prologue

**It's… Hetalia! Woo! -confetti-**

**I always feel super excited with my first story in a new fandom. I have recently become obsessed with this show, even more so than South Park! –le gasp- I hope y'all enjoy this! **

**Warning: This story contains fem!Characters, human names, Britain/fem!China, Britain/France(FrUK yeah.), some Britain/fem!America and eventual Russia/fem!China. I may add more pairings later. Also, beware of some very mildly sexual themes, mostly initiated by France, some characters being OOC, and just general bad writing. Read on at your own risk!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own this show. If I did, it would suck. At least it would if this fanfiction was any indication. **

"Yao, I need those papers filed by noon. I'm aware that these new schedules are absolute bullocks, but we need to hurry if we are going to get all this work done!" My boss, Mr. Kirkland, announces as he strolled by my desk, sipping his tea.

"Right away, aru!" I assured him quickly. I wished that I had at least seen him coming, so that I could have fixed my hair. I was sure it was a complete mess. I still wasn't sure why I felt the need to be on my best behavior every time the British man passed by. The possiblilty of having feelings for him hadn't really crossed my mind until I accidentally walked in on one of his meetings with _his_ boss, the obscene French man.

_I had been trying to find Mr. Kirkland so that he could put the final signature on some paperwork. I tried checking in his office, but he wasn't there. So, I heated to the conference room. Before they had noticed me standing in the doorway, Mr. Bonnefoy was petting Mr. Kirkland's hair, saying things like "Oh, mon petit Angleterre, your hair has gotten so much softer lately. Have you been using a new shampoo?" and "Why won't you go out with me? Everyone knows you like me. Je t'aime toujours, Angleterre…" I remember him tilting the other man's head to try to kiss him, and me suddenly having the urge to strangle him. I let out a small, but noticeable squeak and both men turned towards me, one looking angry and disappointed and the other looking very grateful. _

"_A-aiyah… er… I was, um…" I looked down frantically to try and remember why I was being so awkward. When I glanced down, I remembered what I was holding. "Oh! I need your signature on these papers, ahen. They're… very important." I winced from the icy blue death glare being sent in my direction. The other man cleared his throat awkwardly._

"_R-right, then. Mr. Bonnefoy, sir, I'm sure we both have places to be…" _

"_Indeed, mon cher. Au revoir." He said as he slowly got up from his chair and exited the conference room. _

That was a week ago. I hadn't seen Mr. Bonnefoy around here since, but I did notice an awful lot of intense looking conversations that Mr. Kirkland had on the phone with what I assumed was the same French man.

Now that I thought about it, it would have seemed that I was developing feelings for my boss. He was a stern man, but also very kind when you were on his good side. Maybe that's why I disliked Mr. Bonnefoy so much. It's not like I could blame him though. The British man was quite popular, indeed. There was also an obnoxious intern named Emily Jones, who would always follow Mr. Kirkland around like a lost puppy. Speaking of which…

"Yo, Asian chick. Where's your cute boss?"

"He's in his office, aru. He does not wish to be disturbed. And I have a name."

She pretended not to hear that last part. "'Kay. I'll just keep him some company in there, then. Peace out!" I rolled my eyes at her. I had paperwork to do. Before I could begin, I began to hear this kind of quiet squeaking noise. I tried to ignore it, but eventually it got annoying, so I looked up to see where on Earth it was coming from. _Oh God, it's her again…_ "What do you want now, Emily?"

"W-what? I was just… coming over to say hi. My name's Madeline, I'm going to be taking your place as Mr. Kirkland's assistant…"

"WHAT, aru? Why am I being replaced? I didn't do anything wrong! Is this the doing of that Mr. Bonnefoy, because I-"

"N-No, no. You're just being transferred. I promise, you're not fired. I used to be Mr. Braginski's assistant, but they decided to trade because they believe you could handle the amount of work over there better than I could…"

"Mr. Braginski?" I finally answered. I had never heard of him before.

"Oh, he's the manager of the floor above this one. He's very nice… sort of…" her voice trailed off mid-sentence. I quirked an eyebrow at her. She quickly changed her expression to a calm one. "Um, not to be rude or anything, but I would hurry. Mr. Braginski is excited to get his new assistant, and he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

I sighed. "Alright, fine. Let me just say good bye to Mr. Kirkland." _Wait a second… "_Aiyah! Oh no! what am I going to do now? Even if he doesn't end up falling for either the American tramp or French bastard, I'll have no chance, aru!"

"Eh?" too late I realized that my exclamation had been out loud. I glanced around frantically. Surely someone had heard me! No, just the girl in front of my desk. I hoped she could keep a secret. "Are you ok?" She saw me glance nervously back to Mr. Kirkland's office. Suddenly a look of understanding crossed her face. "Oh, I see." She lowered her voice, as if that was possible. "Don't worry aboot it. I won't tell a soul." She tentatively extended a pinkie finger. I smiled and wrapped my own around hers. In silent understanding, I gave her a look of gratefulness, before beginning to pack my things into a small cardboard box.

**Augh! China is so OOC! I am so sorry! D: I suck. Feel free to flame this as much as you bloody well want to. This is possibly the worst fic I have ever written. Don't worry, though! It will get better, I promise! ****And maybe I'll actually be able to finish this one.**

**Meh. Review please! Flamers are very welcome! So are good reviews, of course, but no pressure!**

**So, Russia will make his appearance next chapter. I haven't decided yet where exactly this story will go, so suggestions are also welcome. Until next time! Hasta la Pasta! :D**


	2. Call Me Ivan, Da?

**Okay, so I've decided exactly where I want this fic to go. And that scares me. However, since I won't take forever having writer's block like I usually do and then excusing it with "homework", I decided that I would just go ahead and give you this next chapter. **

**Disclaimer: This disclaimer says the exact same thing as it did the last chapter. I own nothing. At all. **

The office upstairs looked almost exactly like the one downstairs, except not as busy. In fact, it was empty. I glanced down at the room number that Madeline had given me, double checking to make sure I wasn't in the wrong room. I turned around towards the door to check. Suddenly my eyes met with giant purple ones. I let out a squeak.

"Aiyah! Where'd you come from, aru?" I swore in Chinese under my breath, my heart pounding from the scare of the nearly six-foot tall man standing in front of me. The man ignored my question and simply smiled childishly.

"You are my new assistant, da?" He asked in a thick Russian accent.

"_You're _Mr. Braginski?"

"Please, call me Ivan, will you not?" He replied, while carelessly strolling towards his desk and sitting down.

"No thank you, aru. I would like to keep this professional." I told him, proceeding towards what I presumed was to be my desk.

"Oh?" He replied simply as he took out a bottle of vodka and poured it into… tea? Coffee? I wasn't sure. "Well then, I will call you Miss Assistant Girl. Formal enough, da?"

This man was beginning to irritate me. I already missed Mr. Kirkland's office. "No, I… I mean… You shouldn't be drinking this early in the morning." I changed the subject quickly, turning away from him to arrange my things on my new desk.

"What?" He asked, confused. "Oh, this? Silly Miss Assistant Girl, vodka doesn't count." He chuckled and poured some more into his cup. At this, I turned to face him.

"What are you talking about, aru? Of course vodka counts!" I walked over to his desk in an attempt to confiscate the substance. However, as soon as I touched the bottle, his eyes narrowed, his eyebrows furrowed, and his voice lowered, muttering a faint, "Kolkolkolkolkolkol…" I gasped and stepped back. Almost instantly, his smile returned.

"Don't you have work to do, Miss Assistant Girl?" Maybe I imagined it, but I could have sworn that there was a slightly threatening tone in his voice. Without question, I returned to my desk. Almost on cue, the phone began to ring. I cleared my throat and picked it up. "Arth- I mean, Ivan Braginski's office, may I help you?" and the day officially began.

"You did _what_?" came Madeline's voice on the phone as I waited for another business call. Over the past two weeks, we had become friends, with her knowing about my feelings for Arthur and me knowing about her secret crush on another of the obnoxious interns, this one being in my new division. Gilbert, I think his name was? He was always insisting on himself being the most 'awesome' of the interns, and how he would one day be a CEO of the company, like Mr. Bonnefoy. And then, of course, every time he was almost hired for a paid job here, he'd find a way to screw it up. Honestly, I don't know what she saw in him, but I listened to her anyway, just because no one else did. Usually, our phone conversations would consist of one of us asking the other how life in the other department was going. She would tell me some story about how Emily had once again tried to steal her job or how Mr. Bonnefoy had dropped in for a visit, leaving poor Mr. Kirkland hopelessly flustered. Then I would tell her stories of my new increasingly sadistic boss. Speaking of which…

"It was only on the first day. How was I to know he was so protective of his precious liquor, aru?"

"It's not just that. Any other kind of alcohol would have been fine. But if you dare to question his vodka… I've seen people disappear for that. What I don't understand is that he let you off with barely a warning. That's not like Ivan at all, eh."

If what I got was "barely a warning," I didn't even want to know what happened to other people. After a few seconds of silence, I heard a familiar voice in the background. I couldn't make out exactly what he said, but I did hear Madeline's timid "Alright, sir," in reply. "I have to…" She began.

"Yes, I know. Talk to you later, aru." I sighed and hung up. I jumped when I realized that Mr. Braginski was standing in front of me and staring. I tried to remain calm. "Yes?"

"Miss Assistant Girl. It is now lunch time. I go to lunch. You accompany me. Da?" I stared blankly at him. Did he just… ask me out? Sort of? I wasn't sure how to reply. Before I knew what I was saying, I uttered the first thing that came to mind.

"Don't call me that."

"Sorry?"

"Miss Assistant Girl. It's demeaning, aru."

"Oh? What do you suggest I call you then?" he asked playfully.

"Well, call me Yao. That is my name, after all."

"Then you call me Ivan, da?"

"No."

"Then I will continue to call you by Miss Assistant Girl."

"No, you won't, aru."

"Then you call me Ivan." I finally decided to give in.

"Fine! I will call you Ivan if you just call me Yao." He smiled with satisfaction.

"Da. Alright then. We go to lunch now. Come."

"What?" I asked in confusion. "When did I agree to that?"

"You didn't. Come, Yao. We will go and eat now. I pay." He grabbed my hand, pulling me out the door, down the hallway, and into the elevator with him. I pretended not to notice my heart quickening when his enormous hand latched itself onto mine.

**^J^ The fluff! It's so FLUFFEH. **

**So, I think I'll keep where they work a secret. Partly because that is the one thing I can't decide on, and partly because it's irrelevant to the main storyline. Also, just so you know, the PruCan I threw in there was kind of accidental. I haven't decided yet whether or not to continue with that part of it. However, obviously, the Rochu was completely intentional. ^J^ Have I mentioned yet how much I love to write Russia? He's just the most amazing character ever. **

**So, next chapter will most likely be more fluff. Huzzah! 'Till next time!**


	3. I love China!

**Look! It's another chapter! Already? –Ah Mon Dieu- **

**I enjoy this story way too much. I blame it on Russia just being too darn fun to write. Also, I added some characters and pairings to the story. So, in case you can't keep track:**

**France: CEO of Wherever the Hell They Work, inc. (Francis Bonnefoy)**

**Britain: Manager of the 5th floor. (Arthur Kirkland**

**Russia: Manager of the 6****th**** floor.(Ivan Braginski)**

**Fem!Canada: Britain's assistant(Madeline Williams)**

**Fem!China: Russia's assistant(Yao Wang)**

**Fem!Italy: Main Receptionist and secretary to the CEO(Daisy Vargas)**

**Germany: The Janitor XD (Ludwig)**

**The Interns:**

**-Fem!America(Emily Jones)**

**-Prussia(Gilbert Beilschmidt)**

**Haha, there will be more on a later notice, but that's all you need to know for the chapters so far.**

**-Le Disclaimer and such-**

**Enjoy!**

The ride in the elevator was possibly the most awkward thing that I have ever experienced. As soon as I had registered what was going on, I hastily tried to free myself from… _Ivan_'s grasp. Of course, resistance was futile. I knew that the only way I could get him to stop would be to ask him.

"Can you let go, please?"

He smiled. "Maybe. What's my name?" his grip loosened just slightly.

I sighed. This man was impossible. "Mr. Ivan Braginski."

"Wrong answer." He teased in a singsongy voice. His grip tightened once again. "What's my name, Yao?"

I lightly pinched the bridge of my nose. "Ivan. Your name is Ivan. Can you release me now, aru?"

"Certainly, Yao." After letting go of my crushed hand, he flashed me a cocky smile as the elevator door opened to the lobby, where the receptionist, Ms. Vargas, and the Janitor, Ludwig sat talking over some pasta dish. _Oh no. _She was the biggest gossiper in the building. If she saw me with my boss… _What would Mr. Kirkland think?_ Before I had time to think things through, I grabbed Ivan's hand and tried to pull him back into the elevator. Instead, he latched on once again and pulled me the opposite way, towards the door. As if to deliberately make the worst of the situation, he loudly greeted the two standing at the desk.

"Hello, coworkers! We will be back soon, da?" He shouted, interlocking our fingers and pulling me along with him. The receptionist looked like a deer in headlights. The janitor looked guilty of something. He was blushing deep red and intricately folding his napkin in an attempt to look busy. After a few seconds of this, Ms. Vargas broke the silence.

"Y-yes, Mr. Braginski. Have fun on your lunch b-break…" Ivan nodded and pulled me out the door, still smiling. I rolled my eyes. _Of course _she _gets to call you Mr. Braginski…_

Once we were out of the premise of our building, Ivan willingly let go off my hand after I asked. Now, we strolled in silence, me worrying about things like what Mr. Kirkland… no, what the whole _building_ would think of this new gossip, and Ivan gazing at the various types of colorful trees that lined the street. Every few seconds, he would either gasp or chuckle slightly. I'm not sure why, but his childlike fascination with everyday things made me smile a little. But only for a second.

"So… Aru…" I tried to start some sort of conversation. He didn't seem to hear me. I rolled my eyes. "Ivan?"

He tilted his head down at me, smiling wide. "Da?"

For some reason, his giant violet orbs against the orange leaves paired with his blonde bangs falling ever so slightly across his round face made my pulse quicken and I nearly tripped over my own feet. Instead, I ended up just stumbling awkwardly so that I was about a foot ahead of him. He chuckled a little at me. This made me embarrassed, and therefore even more awkward than before. I hated him for that. Irritated, I turned back to face him.

"Where exactly were you planning on eating, aru?" I asked. The question sounded more like an accusation than a simple question. This caught Ivan off-guard, apparently, because his smile disappeared for a split second, replacing it with the look of a kicked puppy. However, it returned momentarily.

"I was thinking we go to Chinese restaurant, da?"

"Aiyah! Is that some sort of racist joke?"

"No. Why?" He asked, confused.

"I'm Chinese, you childish moron!" As soon as I had said it, I covered my mouth with my hands. If he got so upset when I touched his vodka bottle, I was really going to get it.

However, instead of looking hurt like I expected he would, he looked absolutely delighted. "Really?" he exclaimed excitedly, eyes wide. "I love China! I find it such a fascinating country!" I blinked at him.

"You really didn't know I was Chinese?" Maybe he was dumber than I thought.

"I had small theory, but I was not sure. Now I am. Yay! Vodka for all!" He announced, handing me and some random passersby some flasks that had seemed to materialize from his coat. I was finding that as the time I spent with Ivan wore on, I just got increasingly confused. As he took a swig from his flask, I hid mine in my coat pocket. If I continue to be this guy's assistant, I'll probably need it later.

"Then, off we go! Come, let us celebrate your heritage by eating delicious dumplings and such!" Maybe he got a little bit tipsy from the vodka, or maybe he was just a complete ditz, but he started to wander out onto the road. He didn't even seem to notice the car that was coming up behind him going at least 50 miles per hour.

"Ivan, look out!" I screamed at him as I attempted to run towards him. He turned around in a confused daze. I pointed frantically towards the car. Just as I reached him, he wrapped his arms around me and turned his back to the car, shielding me. As I was about to scream, "What are you doing? Get out of the way!" the car hit.

In a second it was all over. I was sure that I was dead. I had to be. No one could survive that. Not even… _Ivan!_ I opened my eyes, my heart pounding with anticipation. _No, no, no, no! _ I thought. _This isn't happening. Please don't be dead!_ However, he was still there. He was still standing as he did when the car hit. He still had his big, strong arms wrapped around my waist. I looked up at his face. His eyes were still squeezed shut. Then, a miracle happened. He opened his eyes. He blinked twice, looking down at me. I saw his mouth move, but no sound came out. I blinked as well.

"What did you say?" I finally spoke.

"I said, 'Be more careful next time, Yao. You could've been hurt.'" He smiled down on me, the hypocrisy of his statement not occurring to him at all. He turned to face the driver of the slightly dented car. "You as well, da?" The poor driver looked just as confused and in awe of what had just happened as I was. My boss just got hit by a car, and survived without a single scratch. It was like he was a superhero. Or possibly a supervillian…

Apparently, he had said something else, because he was looking at me with worried eyes. "Yao? Are you alright?"

"Huh?"

"Oh dear, you are hurt. You have not hear anything I say."

After some careful thought, he suddenly scooped me up, bridal style.

"I carry you back to office, da?"

"W-what?" I stuttered. "Aiyah! Put me down, aru! What happened to lunch?"

"Lunch time is over. Do not worry, I will have Ms. Vargas bring up some food for you, da?" He replied, completely ignoring all of my protests and continuing to carry me. Finally, I sighed, defeated. This man was absolutely impossible.

**WHY IS CHINA SUCH A FREAKIN' TSUNDERE IN THIS STORY! That makes Russia a sad panda…**

**LOLWUT.**

…

**Moving on. Did'ya like your fluff? I made it with extra luff. (See what I did there? …it'll help if you say it out loud…) I am so tired right now, I really should go to sleep. Meh, oh well. I'll just post this, and then nighty-night! **

**So, If you want an explanation for why the characters are who they are, here's the ones that might need some 'splainin.**

**-Italy is the receptionist because a smiling face would be the first thing I would want to see when I walked into a building… Actually, I suppose it depends on the building… Whatever, you get my point.**

**-France is the CEO because he is. Just… okay?**

**-Germany is the janitor because I find it ironic that possibly the most capable person in the company is stuck being the janitor while Francis undoubtedly drives the company to bankruptcy. Plus the thought of him in a Janitor suit with a nametag makes me laugh. XD**

**Also, I know that the whole car thing is kind of confusing. So, what happened was that a car was coming along the road just as Russia decided to be a derp and start walking in the middle of it. So, naturally China panicked and ran into the middle of it in an attempt to push Russia away from the vehicle. Instead, he reached him and Russia ended up saving him by grabbing him and standing in between him and the car. The car crashed into Russia, and because Russia is the badass that he is, he left the accident unharmed while I'm sure that car needs some serious repairs. ^J^**

…**yup. Reviews make me happy! **


	4. You are Beautiful

**I… I'm almost scared to post this, out of fear of y'all coming at me with pitchforks and torches for not getting my ass in gear and updating sooner. –sigh-**

**I am so sorry. I lost my plan for this story, and for the life of me I could not remember how I wanted this to work. I kept saying, "Oh, I'll think of something later." But I never did. So, finally, today I decided to just write and see what happened. The first time, it didn't really go so well, because I got distracted writing about things that were completely irrelevant to the story altogether. However, this version of the chapter I have deemed acceptable. **

**-Disclaimer, I own nothing, blah blah blah. Et cetera.-**

I arrived home from work exhausted, frustrated, and generally shaken up. I couldn't quite grasp all of the earlier events at all. To be perfectly honest, most of it is still a little fuzzy. I pulled out my apartment key, shoving it into my lock and turning it. I wrenched open the crappy door with some difficulty, heading through my living room directly to my bed, flopping on top of it with an overdramatic sigh.

I dreamed of him.

My dream is full of the color yellow, with Mr. Braginski's face present during the entire thing. He's laughing, but not in an evil or sinister way. He just laughs. When he stops, he looks at me, smiling. I feel my face getting hot, and he chuckles. His hand reaches out to touch my blushing cheeks.

It gets closer…

And closer still…

And then…

I open my eyes. I'm met with a pair of curious purple orbs. Blinking, I realize who is standing over my bed, touching my face. Naturally, I scream.

"What's wrong, Yao-Yao? You are very red." Ivan informs me. Of course, the statement just makes me blush more, causing his eyebrows to furrow in worry.

I stammer at him, trying to tell him to get away, but not quite managing to form words. "A… I.. N-no… B-buh…"

He shushds me by gently tapping my lips. "Do not worry, Yao-Yao. I will go make tea, da?" Once again, I tried to speak but nothing came out. Instead, I was distracted by my heart still racing and the place where he touched me burning intensely. I swallowed, attempting to clear my throat and calm down.

When I finally had begun to think straight, I leapt out of bed, running to the kitchen to find my boss making tea. He seemed to hear me, because he turned around and looked at me.

"Yao-Yao, go back to bed. You are sick. I make you tea. Don't worry." He told me as he took my shoulders and pushed me off to my bedroom.

This time, I manage to say something. "Don't call me that, aru." Well, not quite the thing I was trying to say, but it was a start.

He stopped walking, spinning me around by my shoulders. "Call you what?"

"For the last time, my name is Yao."

"Ah, I see. And what is my name, then?"

"_Ivan_."

"Very good. You are learning." He smiles at me. Then, without another word, he begins dragging me off to my bed once more. Finally, he picks me up and sets me on the mattress, tucking me into my red covers, and effectively re-instating my blush. I sigh, and realize that there is really no chance of getting him to leave, so I decide to let him make me tea. He probably thinks it's the least he can do, seeing as he's put me through so much in the course of only two days.

After about thirty seconds, I pull out my iPhone. After checking my email quickly, I decide to check my rarely visited, but still active, facebook page. The first thing I see immediately rids me of my good mood.

_**Arthur Kirkland**__ is in a relationship._

It feels like someone has slapped me in the face and punched me in the gut all at once. I drop the phone onto the bed, shocked. _No. This isn't happening. She can't have… she…_ I began to sob into my pillow. _That… That American __**slut.**__ How could she? Why didn't Madeline tell me? Nobody loves me…_

"Y-Yao…?" Suddenly, I remember the man who is also in the house. I peered up timidly. He looked even more worried than before. "What's wrong? …Who hurt you? I will make them sorry." He says, setting down the tea he was carrying and coming to sit next to me on the bed. I noticed his face go from confused, to worried, and finally to uncontrollable anger.

Without thinking, I begin to answer. "Em… I-I mean… N-nothing's wrong…" He isn't convinced at all. I give up. "Ivan?" I ask, looking up at him.

"Hm?"

"Am I… Am I ugly?" I ask quietly. He was the only person I knew would tell me the truth. He didn't seem like he even knew the meaning of "sugar-coating".

To my surprise, he began to laugh quietly. "Yao, you are the most beautiful person in the world. I know that for sure. If you were an ugly person, you would not have been brave enough to talk to me, smart enough to work with me _or_ kind enough to put up with me. You have done all three. I have never met anyone like you before."

At first, what he was telling me confused me. _What does someone's looks have to do with their kindness, intelligence, or courageousness? _Then, I realized that the reason he was saying all these things was because he was talking about inner beauty. He didn't see someone for how they looked. He saw them for who they were, and how they treated people. That must be why he's the only guy in our building that I haven't heard talk about the girls' bodies. I have been called flat-chested by almost everyone, excluding Mr. Kirkland and, of course, Ivan.

So, I suppose to him, I was the most beautiful person. No one else had even bothered to give him a chance before I came along. I gazed up at him over my pillow, my face still wet with tears. With my heart beating like a hummingbird's, I shifted so that I was on my knees and faced him. I placed my hands on both sides of his face. A pink blush broke out over his pale skin. Smiling, I pressed my lips against his. The contact caused a shiver to run down my spine.

After a moment, I pulled away, opening my eyes timidly to view his reaction to my sudden display of affection. I suppressed a giggle when I saw that his face had gone absolutely red, and his eyes had gone wide. I think that I was finally the one to surprise him this time. He reached up his hand to touch his lips where I had kissed him. Suddenly, he began to smile mischievously. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me on top of him, kissing me even more passionately. I giggled, allowing everything to happen as it would.

Because, for once, I regretted nothing.

**FLUUUFFFFF! :3**

**Seriously, this chapter is so cheesy, but I love it 'cause it is so fluffy it'll rot your teeth. ^J^ So, how'd you like it? How do you think Arthur got in a relationship with some intern he barely knew? (SPOILER ALERT: he didn't. –trololol-) **

**So, till next time! Reviewers get to pet Iceland's puffin. :3**


	5. Ivan's Predicament, Part 1

**ERMAGERD. A CHAPTER.**

**-please don't kill me for doing his so late…-**

**So, I have finally been inspired! Do you know that feeling when you get a review for your story, and then are like 'Oh, yeah!' and then you re-read your story that you thought was absolute **_**merde**_** and then when you finish you're like 'Whaa? **_**I**_** wrote this? Since when am I a good writer?' **

**No? **

**Maybe it's just me then…**

**So anyway, I have a plan now! However, since I've recently started school again and my day is filled with AP classes that means that I now have like two hours of homework per day, meaning the chances for regular updating looks slim. However, I will try my hardest to get all you lovely people your Rochu(and other) fluff as often as possible.**

**Disclaimer: I own nada.**

The next day should have been awful.

It really should have been. I mean, you'd think that starting a new day by waking up in bed next to your boss would have been awkward at best.

But it wasn't.

In fact it was almost kind of…nice.

Ivan was even cuter when he was sleeping. He had a contented smile on his face as he wrapped his arms just _that _much tighter around me, probably sensing that I was awake and not wanting me to get up. Smiling, I nuzzled back into his bare chest, opening my eyes for just a second to peer at the clock over his shoulder.

"_Aiyah…" _ We were already late for work. However, I knew better by now than to try and wiggle myself out of Ivan's grip. Instead, I opted to try the gentler approach.

"Ivan…" I whispered. When that didn't work, I kissed his nose. His eyes slowly wrenched themselves open, revealing happy violet irises to greet the day. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes again and squeezing me even tighter than before.

"Ivan…" I whispered, more firmly this time.

"Yes, my Yao-Yao?" He whispered back, eyes still shut.

"We're late… I know this may not be a very big deal for you, but for me-"

To my surprise, Ivan immediately released me and practically leapt out of bed. Once safely landed on the floor, he picked up his pants and yanked them on with a sense of panic in his eyes.

"What's wrong? You're the boss. Shouldn't you be able to come in whenever you want?"

He paused with his back to me.

"Of course. But I _want_ to be in as soon as possible. I… have much work to do."

This was indeed very strange. However, so was Ivan. So, I decided it was best not to question his motives. I shrugged and proceeded to get dressed.

Despite his earlier claims to be nonchalant about the whole lateness thing, Ivan was driving like a maniac on the way to the building. When we finally arrived, he practically ran to the door while I tried to keep up.

Then, when we arrived at the lobby to find Daisy on the phone and Ludwig pretending to work while he stared at her, Ivan rushed towards the elevator, this time not grasping my hand as usual. Once again, I dismissed it as just Ivan being a little bit obsessive about his punctuality or something. After a polite nod towards the others, I sighed and followed behind.

Ivan was silent in the elevator, but he was tapping his foot impatiently. When the elevator door dinged, I realized he was holding his breath. As my concern for him grew, the door opened and he sighed in relief, immediately returning to his normal demeanor and strolling towards his desk. I shot him a look of confusion, but when I was ignored I sat at my desk.

I had yet to receive any assignments from Ivan and so I decided to call Maddie and tell her about what happened last night.

A whiny voice answered the phone, sniffling. "Hello?"

"Maddie? Are you… crying? What's wrong, aru?"

"Who's Maddie?" the voice replied, suddenly clearing and becoming much louder than the Maddie I knew.

"Uh… hello. Who is this?"

"Oh! This is Miss Emily Liberty Jones, at your service!"

I groaned inwardly. _Oh, anyone but that bitch._

"I see. Where is Maddie?"

"That assistant chick? She went off to file something for that bastard boss of hers." As Emily said the word "boss", her voice became more and more weepy. "I mean, who does that? Who… leads a girl on, and then goes and becomes gay? What… Why me, y'know?"

_Wait…_

_WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?_

"…_goes and becomes gay?" _ Was she talking about Arthur? Suddenly everything came together.

_That day in the conference room._

_Me walking in on them was just enough to pause it. _

_Arthur was always so flustered around _his_ boss… not because he wanted to impress him. Oh, no. At least, not in a professional sense. _

Mr. Bonnefoy_ was the new romantic interest. Not Emily. _

In my excitement, I slammed the phone down, effectively cutting off Emily on her rant about love and loss.

Somehow, this was _so _much better than if Emily was the special someone. At least this time I knew that it really wasn't my fault that he didn't choose me. It wasn't because I was an A-cup instead of those D-cups of hers. It wasn't the fact that I wasn't pretty enough or blonde enough. It was just because I wasn't _male _enough. Suddenly, my self-esteem skyrocketed.

I was spinning around in my chair until Ivan swooped past me, serious once again. _What is up with him today?_

In an effort to spread some of my good cheer, I grabbed his wrist before he got to the elevator. Standing in the hallway, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling his face closer to mine.

Little did I know, dark blue eyes were narrowed, glaring at me from the security room.

**Guess who?**

**Hehe, I actually have this whole backstory behind all of this. I'm kinda just trying to figure out how to put it into words. **

**Kay. Till next time. Sorry this was so short. **


	6. Ivan's Predicament, Part 2

**Hello again!**

**So, this chapter is going to be a little different from the others because I'm taking a break from China's point of view and switching to a sort of third-person view. I feel like I need to give a better understanding of the other things going on in the building(such as the mysterious new person).**

**Also: I decided where they work. I was thinking, "Hmm… where would France even WANT to be a CEO?" and then, it hit me…**

**BOOM.**

**Modeling Agency. **

**I mean, think about it: not only would he be an active member of the fashion agency, but he would also get to meet a whole bunch of aspiring models, females and males, who will do just about anything to break into the business.(If ya know what I mean ;))Seems like his kind of job. **

**Anyway, on a completely unrelated note, thank all you beautiful people for the amazing reviews! I am really not worthy. **

**Alright, I've taken up enough of your time. Enjoy.**

"Bonnefoy! Stop texting your stupid boyfriend when I am speaking to you!" Yanking the phone out of her bosses' hand and slamming it down on the shiny mahogany desk between the two, the young woman glared into the eyes of her idiot boss, ignoring his whimpering.

"Natalia, do you have any idea how much that phone cost?" Francis Bonnefoy whined toward his assistant, gingerly picking up the device and cradling it in his hands. The assistant groaned in frustration while the blonde CEO began examining the screen for cracks.

The blonde woman massaged her temples, quickly losing her patience for the day. Deciding to try once again, she turned back towards Francis. "Mr. Bonnefoy, we have a serious problem on our hands. Do you realize that we are a modeling agency? Without our connections to the fashion industry, we are nothing! We need to maintain our professional reputation. How are we going to do so if half of the employees are 'hooking up'? It's just plain unprofessional."

"What is the problem, Natalia? There are only a select few official couples in these offices, me and Arthur, Yao and Ivan, Gilbert and that sweet little assistant…-"

"And that's another thing!" Natalia cut in angrily. "How is it that you know everything about these people's social lives? I think that work life and personal life should be separate. Besides, what if they break up in some big, dramatic manner? It will be so awkward to work together that we'd have to transfer them to a different branch, and-"

"Hold on now, _Cherie…_ What is this really about? Are you jealous of someone? Does _mon petit assistant _actually have _feelings?"_

Natalia's memories flashed back to what she had seen on the live security videos just a few hours earlier.

_There it was. The most terrible scene that she had ever had to witness. _

_Her brother. Her tall, strong, calm, perfect brother, Ivan._

_And with someone else. _

_That Asian tramp had stolen her brother… and she was going to pay._

"…no, of course not. I am simply concerned for the productivity of the company."

After a moment of contemplating whether or not to ask any further questions, Francis simply shrugged and turned his attention back to his phone.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the Security room, Head of Security, Kiku Honda was closely examining the footage from the previous day. He had received explicit orders from Ms. Braginski to tally down how many couples he saw being inappropriate in the workplace. Admittedly, he had been given worse assignments, to say the least.<p>

He was almost finished with looking over previous footage. So far, he had only counted about six couples; and each couple shered an average of four public kisses in one day. For him, of course, this was far more than what should be accepted. However, in America people seemed far less restrained, and public displays of affection were fairly ordinary. It was certainly not the worst he had seen since moving to the US.

After watching the last of the previous minutes on high speed, his tapes caught up to present time. The camera in the lobby caught up just in time to see four men walk in through the front doors, approaching the front desk.

The man leading the others was a man of about average height with messy brown hair and tanned skin. Smiling and chirpy, he flirted breifly with Daisy, obviously filled with all kinds of charisma. Kiku knew of this man; he was the talent scout for the company. Way back when Mr. Bonnefoy had started working for the fashion industry, this man had been Francis' original male model. His name was Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo, and he was now one of the biggest celebrity personalities of the fashion industry, along with Mr. Bonnefoy himself.

The man standing beside Antonio was glaring at nothing and leaning up against the desk. This was Antonio's personal assistant, Lovino Vargas. He basically just did all of the actual work for Antonio while the latter simply stood and looked pretty. He had a reputation for being quite a bitter little man, especially towards his boss. Another puzzling thing was that Antonio kept him around as his assistant, even though he did very little of the work that needed to be done, and he also wasn't very good with handling the press, either. It was rumored that he was only kept at the company because his sister, Daisy, was very attractive to the higher-ups and that she had threatened to quit if her brother wasn't hired as well.

The last two men were people Kiku had never seen before. One man was tall, blonde, and widely grinning. His spiky hairdo and flamboyant outfit suggested that he was indeed an aspiring model, probably a new recruit that Antonio had brought in.

The other man caught Kiku's attention. He was a slightly taller-than-average man with lightly tanned skin and messy, undone hair that brushed his muscular shoulders. It wasn't really anything that the man was wearing that caught his eye; in fact, the man was dressed fairly normally, with a tan jacket draped across his shoulders, matching tan cargo shorts and a white tank top. No, what caught Kiku's attention was something in the man's arms.

It was small, grey, and fluffy-looking. Kiku leaned into the screen to get a closer look. Just as he did, the man turned to look straight at the camera's lens. Startled, Kiku jumped back. Looking around to make sure no one else was in the room, he once again turned to stare back at the young man, who did not break his gaze.

_He can't see you,_ _stupid_. He thought to himself._ He probably just wonders why we need security cameras in the lobby, or… something._

Suddenly, the fluffy object in the man's hands seemed to wake up. A tiny head gradually rose out of the ball, revealing a grey kitten to be nestled in the model's arms. It tilted its head up towards the man, yawning in his face. This received a tiny smile from the man, who yawned back. Kiku had to suppress the urge to "Aww" at the screen, for fear of Mr. Zwingli next door to hear him and give him grief for not doing his job.

"Yo! Heracles! Come here! You need 'a sign this. We're going to be discovered!" Mathias had been saying that over and over again to Heracles countless times on the ride over to the agency. It was honestly beginning to get annoying. Heracles sighed and turned away from the security camera he had been staring at to face his friend.

"Yes, I know." He slowly strolled over to the counter, stroking the kitten he had found in an alleyway that morning. In order to write, he set the cat on the counter, much to the dismay of what he presumed to be a janitor in the corner. The receptionist, however, didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was intently watching the kitten with a smile of excitement on her face. The kitten saw this and hopped down onto her lap, purring contently. The receptionist gasped, giggling.

"Aww! What a cute little kitty! What's her name? She is yours, right?"

Heracles finished signing before answering, "She doesn't have a name yet. She's a stray I found this morning… You can have her, if you want her."

The receptionist's eyes widened. "_Really?"_ She exclaimed excitedly. Heracles nodded. She then exploded into a fit of squeals, giggles, and exclaimations such as 'I'll call her Pookie! Doesn't she look like a Pookie? Oh, she's so adorable! Don't you think so, Ludwig?'

Heracles turned back to the talent agent, who was conversing happily with Mathias. They were still laughing when they heard the delibritely abnoxious throat-clearing of the scout's assistant, who was tapping his foot impatiently, standing in the elevator.

"Come _on, _idiotas. You realize we have to take you to Edelstein for orientation, don't you? MOVE IT, ALREADY!" The other three men complied in fear. Heracles glanced up at the corner of the room again, gazing at the camera and wondering if someone was looking back at him.

**YAAY! More people! Okay:**

**-Natalia Braginski(Belarus)- Francis' assistant, and really the brains behind the whole operation.**

**-Kiku Honda(Japan)-Head of Security**

**-Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo(Spain)- Talent scout**

**-Lovino Vargas(Romano)- Antonio's assistant, basically just makes sure that Antonio gets anything done at all**

**-Mathias Kohler(Denmark)- Model-in-Training**

**-Heracles Karpusi(Greece)-Model-in-Training**

**-Vash Zwingli(Switzerland)-Security Guard**

**-Roderich Edelstien(Austria)- Whoever it is that's in charge of making sure that the models are transformed from normal people to professional models, AKA the trainor**

**And, this one isn't necessarily in the story yet:**

**Elizabeth Hedervary(Hungary)- Security Guard #2**

**Phew! I really should be doing Language Arts homework right now, but screw it. **

**SPEAKING OF WHICH: I have some serious work to be doing in the upcoming weeks, so this will probably be on hiatus indefinitely. You have been warned.**


	7. New and Revised Guidelines

**Yay! I'm off hiatus! I decided that I would give you guys a slightly longer chapter this time, because of how long you had to wait.**** I made it through my finals and such. Well… almost. I've still got one more. But it's history, so…**

**This totally counts as studying.**

**Anyway, so speaking of "studying" I was watching Hetalia videos on YouTube and ended up on one about AmericaxBelarus and thought to myself about how underappreciated that pairing really is. I thought… "Hey, I should spread the love! Wish I could draw, but I can't, so instead I'll just write… Oh, wait… I have a fanfiction to finish already… I'll do that now to make way for some AmeBel later."**

**So, that is why you get a new chapter! I kind of wish I could incorporate some AmeBel into this one as well, but it has nothing to do with the story plus I have the fem!America in this instead of her male counterpart and she simply doesn't go as well with Belarus.**

**ANYWAY, onward with this nonsense. (Which I do not in fact own, by the way.)****Hope you like it!**

Heracles and Mathias followed excitedly behind Mr. Fernandez-Carriedo and his assistant as they walked swiftly down the halls of the incredibly fancy-looking office building. They rounded a corner, suddenly entering a room containing about five other incredibly nervous-looking boys standing in a clump, and the other half of the room containing a giant set filled with cameras and various light filters. As the boys entered, a man popped up from behind the set to peer at them with deep violet eyes through sharp glasses. He raised an eyebrow at the group of men, pointedly glaring at Antonio before turning his attention back to the boys.

"Hello, new talent. How nice of you to join us. Take your place with the others and we can get started."

Yao strolled through the front doors of the lobby on Thursday morning with a giant smile on her face. She had found something for her new boyfriend on the way to work and she knew he was going to love it. It was a mug with a great big sunflower carved onto it. She knew that this was Ivan's favorite flower, and so when she passed it in a shop window, she had decided to surprise him with it.

As she headed towards the front desk, she saw a blonde woman standing and talking with Daisy, who seemed less cheerful than usual, and almost uncomfortable. Yao continued to approach the desk, albeit a bit cautiously. She glanced again at the blonde at the desk, who had stopped talking, in order to see her face.

She was quite beautiful, with the same ivory skin and dark round eyes that reminded her of Ivan. The woman turned her head towards Yao, who awkwardly pretended that she wasn't just staring at her by being consumed with interest in signing in. However, her efforts to be ignored by the mystery woman were futile.

"Ms. Yao Wang? Assistant to a Mr. Ivan Braginski, yes?" Her slight accent caught Yao's attention.

Yao gulped. She suddenly felt like she was a little girl about to get in trouble with the principal.

"Ah… y-yes?"

The woman handed Yao a booklet entitled New and Revised Guidelines for the Workplace. Smiling, she turned and began to walk towards the elevator. Both women watched her leave, and then Yao turned back to Daisy.

"What was that about, aru? Who was that woman?"

Daisy smiled uncomfortably. "A-ah… she's Mr. Bonnefoy's assistant, I guess… She just gave me the same booklet and told me to 'keep up the single life.' What does that even mean? She's scary! Also, I haven't seen Ludwig in a while and I think he's avoiding me and I don't know what I did and maybe it has something to do with this, oh-"

"Daisy. It'll be fine, I promise. I'm sure Ludwig isn't avoiding you; it's just a weird coincidence, aru. I am going to go upstairs now. Try not to have a panic attack while I'm gone, aru."

"Ivan? Are you here yet?" Yao called out into the office for her boyfriend. She still had her gift to give him. She made her way into the office, setting her things on her desk and peering into Ivan's office. He was sitting at his desk, sorting through paperwork and looking exhausted. Yao wondered if he'd been there all night. Suddenly, she got an idea. She walked over to the coffee machine on the other side of the room and filled Ivan's gift with coffee.

Crossing the room once more to Ivan's desk, Yao set the mug next to Ivan's slumped over body, who appeared to be taking a nap. Yao smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking the sleeping giant, who slowly turned his head up towards his smiling girlfriend.

"Yao-Yao, what are you doing here so late? Go to bed, I can handle this…"

Yao raised an eyebrow. "Handle what? Ivan, it's nearly 10:00 in the morning. How long have you been here?"

The large man lifted his head up all the way, squinting at the light seeping through the window. A look of panic once again spread across his face. "How long have I been asleep, you mean? I need to get back to work… If I don't get this done by noon, Natalia will…" He paused. "…I do not even want to think about it…"

"What?" Yao was puzzled. Something was wrong with Ivan lately. She didn't know what it was, but ever since that one day when they were late, he had been so uptight with maintaining every. Single. Rule. It seemed like this was happening more and more lately. Ivan would be doing just fine, but then suddenly have these bursts of panic in which he'd transform into a huge workaholic.

It was getting a little ridiculous.

He even followed the little regulations that nobody else paid attention to anyway, such as using the intercom buzzer to notify me when he was going to use the phone even though there are several lines always open. Or, when he was walking out of the building he made sure to sign out next to his name each and every day. Or, in an even stranger turn of events: he had stopped drinking.

No, seriously. He never poured any Vodka in his coffee anymore, and I never caught him taking a sip out of the flask he kept in his desk drawers.

Honestly, she was starting to worry. No, Yao was beyond the point of worry. She had actually considered staging an intervention. But then, she didn't know who else would be involved aside from herself. Maybe Ivan had family, but Yao had realized that she really had no idea who this person really was.

She just didn't know what to do. So, she simply decided that it was just a really heavy workload he had, or something like that, and that it would pass, eventually.

If only she knew how to keep her mouth shut.

But she didn't.

"Ivan?" She asked tentatively.

I fidgeted under his gaze. "I… er… was wondering if I could… talk to you, aru."

"Who's Natalia, Ivan?" she asked suddenly. Ivan smiled cheerfully, but Yao could've sworn that she saw something resembling fear in eyes for a split second.

"Nobody important… Just someone I know." Yao still looked skeptical. For good measure, Ivan stood up and gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "I'm fine. I just have things to do. See you during lunch, da?"

"I don't know what is going on with him, Maddie, aru. I'm positive that there's something he's not telling me. This Natalia person is obviously causing him emotional trouble. I do not think that he is having an affair, but I can't think of any other explanation… what do you think?"

"Well… eh… What did you say the name was again? I could maybe check my files to see if she's an employee or a customer, if you'd like."

"Her name was Natalia, I think…"

"Hmm… ok, so I've only found one match to that name in the database. She's Mr. Bonnefoy's executive assistant, and her full name is Natalia… Braginski."

"Braginski? As in… _Ivan_ Braginski? Meaning they're related somehow?" Yao suddenly thought back to that morning, with the beautiful blonde at the front desk. Immediately, her face had reminded her of Ivan. Ms. Vargas' words suddenly came back to her.

"_She's Mr. Bonnefoy's assistant, I guess…"_

"…so, Ivan has a sister who's higher up in the company than he is… maybe it's an inferiority complex thing. Maybe he feels like he needs to work hard to show her up?" Maddie suggested.

She didn't answer. Instead, she simply told her, "Sorry, I've got to go. I have things to get done. Have a nice day, Maddie." After she said goodbye, Yao hung up the phone, reaching into her purse for the new booklet that she had acquired that morning and forgotten about completely. Flipping to the first page, she noticed a post-it note stuck to the front page that read:

_Turn to page #3; this rule is important._

Yao obliged and turned to page three. On that page, someone had marked one rule with a star in permanent marker:

_*16. Any employee caught dating another employee or showing any forms of PDA will be terminated._

**-foreboding music-**

**Natalia, what have you done? You have stolen our fluff! HOW DARETH THOU.**

**Alrighty then~ So, I have decided that the next chapter will be the last one for this story, because I want to move on to other things but I decided that I would actually finish this story instead of simply nullifying it like I did with my others. Also, in honor of the last chapter, let's have a little guessing game:**

**So, I never have very sad endings in my stories, meaning that this new office rule will not exist by the ending. Therefore, my question is this:**

**How will all employees I've mentioned fight this new rule? (Bonus points to whoever is able to use all characters I've mentioned so far.)**

**Anyone who gets something close to the right answer will get a free oneshot with the pairing of their choice.**

…**GO!**


End file.
